Hiding Behind Busyness

I had a huge realization the other day as I made a spontaneous purchase for my business. Why, when I still have not finished projects that I have already started for myself, was I adding more to my plate by buying a piece of software that I would have to spend time learning before I could even use?

I opened the program and just stared at it. What was it that had drawn me to buy this? I had a list of goals I wanted to accomplish. I had a plan to move forward with them but here I was shifting to something that honestly brought no value to life in any way or to anything I was doing in my business and moved me no closer to completing my goals.

I closed the program and decided that I would not touch it until I could really answer why I had been distracted by it. It sat there for days. I reasoned with myself, I told business friends and my husband about it hoping they would support the purchase and make me feel better about it. This did not happen. I popped on Facebook and saw these free challenges and webinars and signed up for a few of those too. Here I was again adding more to my plate and avoiding tasks that would actually move me forward.

Then I had a call with a friend who is also a client of mine and what came out of my mouth as advice to her, struck me deep. She had been adding more and more to her own business, creating additional work for herself that was keeping her from moving forward. I could see clearly as if looking in a mirror, that we had the same issue. We were hiding behind busyness because we were fearful. Fearful from being successful, fearful of moving forward and having to put ourselves out there, so we added more and we planned more, and we got busier so that we wouldn’t have time to reach our goals. We would have an excuse not to follow the path that was being laid out before us. Paths that would ultimately make us happy to follow but would not allow us to hide.

So, what would I do to get back on track and to stop hiding behind busyness?

For me, the answer was to get a refund on the program that I had purchased and ask myself honestly before I took on anything else, said yes or signed up for one more thing “how does this move me forward closer to my goals and the life I am building for myself?” and if I could not answer that question clearly, I would leave it where it was.

What is starting to happen now is that I am moving forward, closer to my goals and I am clearly feeling the fear but instead of hiding behind busyness, I am facing the fear head-on.

Here we go!

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